Hippophaë rhamnoides Sea Buckthorn

Family: Elaeagnaceae

Origin: E England

Sea buckthorn has been widely planted on sand dunes in Northern Ireland, particularly at Murlough in Co Down and Portstewart Dunes in Co Londonderry. It has become a serious nuisance on both dune systems, forming impenetrable thickets which blanket out the native dune vegetation.

These three photographs show the plant on the dunes at Portstewart.
The top and middle photographs show marram grass (Ammophila arenaria) in the foreground - part of the natural vegetation succession of local dune sysytems - with a dense thicket of silvery-leaved sea buckthorn behind it.
In one area (bottom photo) the sea buckthorn has grown very tall, forming trees and producing a dense shady woodland.
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© National Museums Northern Ireland, 2004